Matt Cain strong in return for Giants

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain throws a warmup pitch before facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of a spring training baseball game in Scottsdale, Ariz., Monday, March 14, 2011. (AP Photo)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz -- Giants right-hander Matt Cain not only looked healthy Monday in his first outing since Feb. 27 but also looked like a guy who hadn't missed any time at all.

Cain, who developed elbow inflammation after his first outing of the spring, pitched three shutout innings and went to just one three-ball count while facing 12 hitters and throwing 43 pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers.

"It looked like the normal Cainer," said catcher Buster Posey.

Even when he ran the count to 3-0 on his final batter, slugger Ryan Braun, Cain turned it into a positive. He threw three straight strikes, including a nasty curveball on the final pitch that Braun swung through.

"That's one of those things you like in spring because you're definitely going to have those situations in the season," Cain said. "You have to find ways to get out of the those situations, so it's nice to go through it now."

Of Cain's 43 pitches, he threw 29 strikes. Manager Bruce Bochy had projected two innings for Cain, but he threw only 10 pitches in the first inning and eight in the second, so Bochy sent him out for the third.

"It looked like Matty didn't miss a beat," Bochy said. "He was letting it go, hitting his spots, and I thought he had great secondary pitches. That was impressive considering he hasn't been out there. He was confident throwing any pitch at any time."

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Posey said: "Especially the second and third innings, he really commanded the fastball well."

Cain said it's his modus operandi to try to throw strikes in the middle of the spring, even if he winds up getting hit.

"I'd rather go ahead and give up hits now and make myself throw strikes," he said. "I just don't want to give guys walks. The first inning I was definitely leaving more balls over the middle of the plate, and they hit some line drives at guys. Then I started getting a little bit more on the corners."

Provided Cain recovers fine from his outing, the challenge now becomes stretching out his pitch count to get ready for the regular season. Neither he nor Bochy believes that will be a problem.

"I think I'll be fine," Cain said. "I've been able to do rotator cuff and (scapula) work even when I wasn't throwing every four days, so I've been able to keep my arm strength there."

Bochy said he might give Cain an extra day between starts but added that barring any setbacks, he'd probably get a 60-pitch assignment in his next outing.

"We're confident we'll get him back on track here," the manager said. "We'd be concerned if he had shown any concern or was hesitant. He's not showing that at all."

Cain said that he only fretted some about his elbow immediately after he developed the inflammation. Once it subsided, he knew things would be OK.

"A day or so you kind of worry about it just to see how it goes," he said. "But once it started feeling better that quick, that's just one of those things you just try to put it past you."